Rattlers Roundup: Treliving: CHL merger a tremendous success

With hockey making a shift after a decade of prosperity and growth, the Central and Western Professional hockey leagues began to change with the times. The two leagues merged into a new CHL during the summer, giving CHL president Treliving the task of getting the new league up and running.

The results have been everything Treliving could have expected.

"Going back four months, there were a lot of questions about the merger," said Treliving, paying a visit to Amarillo last Saturday. "But I can categorically say that this has been a tremendous success."

Often success can be found in numbers, like the league's average of 4,101 fans per game through Monday. Geographical rivalries that were not possible when the leagues were apart continue to grow, such as Amarillo-Oklahoma City and Austin-San Antonio.

The passion among fans has carried onto the ice, and vice versa. But the key for Treliving and the 16 teams - 10 from the former WPHL, six from the CHL - is not stopping what continues to work.

"We're seeing the teams play with passion and energy," Treliving said. "We have to continue to grow that. What we've seen has been positive, but this is not where we want to stop. We don't want to take our foot off the pedal."

New rules regarding veteran limits also have established parity within the league and helped younger players make an impact in hopes of moving up. With a little more than a third of the season remaining, most of the 16 teams remain in the playoff chase.

Even upsets have been prevalent, with division leaders getting upset several times by teams just trying to keep pace.

"In a perfect world, this is what you expect," Treliving said. "It shows these teams have to be prepared each night. It doesn't matter if it's at home or on the road. This is exactly what we want from a competitive standpoint. It makes our teams prepare better for every game."

Success has even spread into Amarillo, which has seen fan attendance jump to 3,816 per game this season. Treliving got a first-hand account of the team's first sellout of the season when the Rattlers retired former captain Brad Haelzle's jersey last Saturday.

Thanks to its location and market, Treliving said Amarillo is a perfect fit for the CHL.

"We're excited about Amarillo," Treliving said. "It's a tremendous market, and we have a great passion here among the fans.

"The facility is second-to-none for our product. The size, sightlines and presentation are just tremendous. And the front office has done a great job bringing people in to help build the franchise."

With a more solid foundation in place, Treliving already is looking ahead to the future. A new team in Laredo will be added next season, with possibilities for expansion into the Rio Grande Valley and Fort Collins, Colo., still remaining possibilities.

For now, the CHL continues to move in the right direction. And many of the concerns Treliving had before the season are no longer a question.

The Gong Show

Playing twice in two nights obviously made the Tulsa Oilers and Wichita Thunder a little chippy heading into last Friday.

In what will likely go down as one of the most bizarre games of the CHL season, the Oilers literally fought their way to a come-from-behind 5-4 win against the Thunder. The two teams engaged in several all-out brawls during the game, setting season marks for penalty minutes in a game.

The numbers from Friday's game are mind-boggling - 261 penalty minutes, 17 major penalties, 11 game misconducts and even one match penalty for "attempt to injure." By the end of the biggest showdown midway through the second period, the Oilers were left with only nine skaters and had goaltender Rob Murdoch kicked out for leaving the crease.

Ironically, the two teams combined for only 42 penalty minutes the night before in Tulsa.

Cycling the Puck

Amarillo forward Todd St. Louis has drawn a penalty in seven consecutive games, currently tied with Fort Worth's Jason Clarke for the longest such streak in the league. ... Former Rattlers goaltender Jason Wright was picked up by Corpus Christi last week. ... There have been twice as many hat tricks (34) in the CHL this season as shutouts (17). ... Oklahoma City goaltender Aren Miller was added to the Northern squad for the CHL All-Star Game in place of Sebastien Centomo, who is currently on assignment with St. John's in the American Hockey League. Corpus Christi center Kurt Wickenheiser also was added to the Southern roster.